2.17.15 // Minnesota’s Solar Garden Program Helps Small Businesses “‘We call these [solar investment] deals mall developments because you can’t build a shopping mall without there being an anchor tenant. And school districts and Fortune 500 corporations and people with Blue Chip credit are serving as the anchor tenants,’ said Michael Noble.” (3BL Media/Justmeans)

1.13.15 // Ecolab to go all-solar in Minnesota “Michael Noble, executive [director] of Fresh Energy, a St. Paul nonprofit that backed the state solar law, said it offers a ‘forward-looking strategy’ for corporations, many of which have made sustainability part of their missions. ‘Ecolab is smart to lock in on long-term, stable, carbon-free energy,’ Noble said.” (Star Tribune)

12.19.14 // Xcel gets 427 solar garden applications in Minnesota“It is exciting that commercial projects are coming together,” said Michael Noble. “Minnesota has been way behind on solar power and it looks like we are going to catch up with other states.” (Star Tribune)

6.22.14 // Combat climate change: Duluth knows all about bad storms“We’re already incurring costs from climate change so it’s not a question of whether we’re going to start spending money because of carbon pollution. We’re already spending money by not cutting carbon pollution. Certainly Duluth has seen that in spades.” (Duluth News Tribune)

6.22.14 // Combat climate change: ‘Minnesota has been a leader’ “…what we really like about this plan is that (it’s being left) up to the states to meet with people and stakeholders (and to determine state-by-state how to meet the standards). How will it work best for Minnesota?” (Duluth News Tribune)

6.6.14 // Group asks Xcel to try tiered pricing“‘This is an opportunity to lower your energy bill in a way that’s more beneficial to you as a low-use customer than the current flat-rate structure,” said Will Nissen.” (The Mankato Free Press)

6.5.14 // New billing method proposed for Xcel would raise rate for energy hogs“It rewards customers who have already invested in energy efficiency or engage in other conservation measures,” said Will Nissen, a policy associate at Fresh Energy, a St. Paul nonprofit group that joined with others to propose the plan to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. (Star Tribune)

6.5.14 // Environmental groups want Xcel to use tiered energy pricing“This is an opportunity to lower your energy bill in a way that’s more beneficial to you [as] a low-use customer than the current flat-rate structure,” said Will Nissen, a policy associate for Fresh Energy. “And it’s an opportunity to take advantage of the best energy resource we have in Minnesota, which is simply the kilowatt hour you don’t use.” (Minnesota Public Radio)

5.7.14 // The National Climate Assessment’s Minnesota outlook “‘We’re seeing later frosts in many years, which can take out some crops, and an increase in crop diseases that used to be pushed back by our tough winters,’ J. Drake Hamilton said.” (Minnesota Public Radio)

3.31.14 // Sustainable: Minnesota to set up ‘value-of-solar’ tariff“Our understanding of how to quantify the benefits of solar has become more robust,” Erin Stojan Ruccolo said. “This was seen as a way to revisit this issue and see if we could do a much better job of figuring out what solar is worth.” (Finance and Commerce)

February 2014 // The business of being a good neighborAlexis Williams wrote a piece for the Minnesota Christian Examiner about the importance of aligning our daily choices and actions with our values. (See page 5.)

1.25.14 //PUC to update ‘external cost’ for Minnesota power sources‘“What this would do is to cause Minnesota to take a hard look before investments are made in power plants so that … we have a sense of what those ultimate costs would be, and we’ll make fewer bad decisions,” said J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director with the nonprofit Fresh Energy.’

1.24.14 // Climate could change Mississippi‘Scientists “have been really clear that it is the decisions human beings make on energy in the next few years that will determine this trajectory,” J. Drake Hamilton said. “This is not (yet) written in stone.”’

10.12.13 // Environmental experts want “real” cost of coal considered “’Minnesota is poised to make important, long-range decisions about major investments in its energy future,’ said J. Drake Hamilton. ‘It is imperative that Minnesota use sound, up-to-date information about the real human health and environmental costs and consequences of electricity decisions.’” (Star Tribune)

10.10.13 // News study paints sweltering picture of future climate “In fact, as soon as 2047, just 34 years from now, the coldest years will be warmer than the hottest years of the past. ‘Your viewers will be alive then, and their kids, whose futures they’re preparing for, will be very much alive,’ said J. Drake Hamilton.” (WCCO)

10.8.13 // Greenspace: Laws, dollars may help Minnesota solar energy shine brighter “‘Perceptions about solar energy have changed,’ said Ross Abbey, one of the report authors. ‘Right now, we have lots of players all pushing in the same direction.’ Those players, he said, include everyone from the U.S. Department of Energy to grassroots organizations trying to change our energy production.” (Post Bulletin)

9.20.13 // Steger headlines forum on climate, energy, and health“Everyone has an opinion,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “But if you have a question about climate science you should go to the people who publish climate science …. of the more than 4,000 academic papers published over the last 20 years, 97.1 percent agree that climate change is caused by human actions.” (Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

8.14.13 //Midwest’s large coal-burning power plants are getting new life “The amount of carbon coming out of these power plants is something a lot of people are not aware of,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “They are by far the No. 1 source of carbon pollution in the state and in the country. To continue year after year adding to that very negative legacy is not a viable policy.” (Star Tribune)

7.10.13 // In wake of Xcel study, forum pulls in crowd ‘J. Drake Hamilton said Sherco is an opportunity for Minnesota to modernize its energy system. She was involved in Xcel’s study but said she was disappointed the company decided to keep burning coal.’ (St. Cloud Times)

7.2.13 // No plans to end coal-fired power at Sherco“For folks who were listening to President Obama’s direction to the Environmental Protection Agency last week, he made it clear that he is closing the loophole that now exists for existing coal burning power plants, that they’re putting carbon pollution in the atmosphere and not paying the costs,” said J. Drake Hamilton. (Minnesota Public Radio)

7.2.13 // Sherco efficiency study recommends continued operation of older units “We think the study is a missed opportunity for investing in clean energy,” said J. Drake Hamilton. Hamilton said Xcel’s study should have planned for a higher cost of carbon dioxide emissions, which is expected to increase as federal regulations tighten. (St. Cloud Times)

6.26.13 // Minnesota Power to take a hit from Obama’s emissions plan “We’ve already learned in Minnesota that energy efficiency, using less energy and adding more solar and wind energy can replace coal-fired power plants,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “Minnesota Power’s Boswell 4 plant produces something like 6 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. It’s the second-largest source in Minnesota.” (Duluth News Tribune)

6.26.13 // Minnesota utilities on track to exceed goals of Obama’s climate plan‘As for environmental groups, they are generally applauding Obama’s initiative. Fresh Energy’s director of science policy, J. Drake Hamilton, called it the latest in the administration’s “steady and responsible steps” to reduce pollution.’ (Minnesota Public Radio)

5.30.13 // Thanks to state law, solar panels are likely to be a more common sight “We think it’s a good step forward down what we call the road to clean energy,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “This is going to maximize the potential for business owners and residents in Minnesota to have access to solar power generation.” (Associated Press, St. Cloud Times)

5.3.13 // The state of renewable energy in Minnesota Erin Stojan Ruccolo joined Amanda Bilek (from the Great Plains Institute) on North Shore Community Radio (90.7FM) to talk about ideas and initiatives for making renewable energy a larger part of Minnesota’s energy base.

4.25.13 // Green groups push for review of Iron Range power plant plans Minnesota Power has proposed a $350 million retrofit to extend the life of its 585-megawatt Boswell Energy Center Unit 4 power plant until 2036, but environmentalist groups would rather it be shut down in 2016 and replaced with cleaner alternatives. “It’s an outdated notion,” said J. Drake Hamilton. (Pioneer Press)

4.23.13 // Wind power requirement proposal goes to state lawmakers “We think it’s time to nudge the standard forward,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “What we’re finding is that it’s interesting that Minnesota has a better solar resource than any other state in the Upper Midwest … but very far behind in how much we’ve actually developed.” (Mankato Free Press)

4.10.13 // Is your building an energy hog?(login required) “It’s a great way for Minneapolis to show it is a leader in pushing forward energy savings for buildings,” said Alison Lindburg. “It’s great that we are the first Midwest city to pass the ordinance.” (Finance & Commerce)

4.8.13 // McKnight fights climate change with $25 million in grants“The Midwest is historically the industrial heartland. Also the agricultural heartland. Also the most carbon-dependent part of the country,” Michael Noble said. “But we also have vast renewable energy resources. The wind energy is phenomenal. We have the best, cheapest solutions. And we’re also the part of the country that is the middle of the country politically. I think people believe that as goes the Midwest, so goes the nation on energy and climate policy. If they can do it in [the Midwest], that will set the bar for America.” (Star Tribune)

3.5.13 // Group ups ante on renewable energyIn 2007, Minnesota set a standard of roughly 25 percent from renewable sources by 2025, and “now we must build on that foundation and take a next big step forward,” said Michael Noble. (Pioneer Press)

3.5.13 // Advocates want tougher renewable energy standard in Minn.“We want to build both on our legacy of clean renewable energy from wind power, and we want to start a new commitment to make solar energy as successful, prosperous and economic as wind energy already is,” Michael Noble said. (Minnesota Public Radio)

3.1.13 // 1 percent sales tax for transit proposed (login required) “There is a lot of excitement around Dayton’s proposal, but we also recognize that it’s really connected to the sales-tax base broadening that has received more of a mixed reception,” Ethan Fawley said. “What we’re saying is, ‘Let’s have a conversation about the sales tax specifically.’” (Finance & Commerce)

3.1.13 //Duluth-based Minnesota Power files clean energy plan Customers have a significant role in determining a power company’s direction, according to J. Drake Hamilton, the science policy director for Fresh Energy. “Customers must push them to maximize efficiency and energy savings now,” Hamilton said. (Duluth News Tribune)

2.27.13 // Minnesota Public Radio presents “Bill McKibben and J. Drake Hamilton on climate change“Minnesota Public Radio broadcast the speeches of Bill McKibben and J. Drake Hamilton from a February 20 event at the University of St. Thomas entitled “Celebrating and Preserving Winter: Responding to Climate Change in Minnesota and Wisconsin.”

2.10.13 // Even after shutdowns, coal power still a mainstay in Minnesota“Within a few years we are going to see a limit on the carbon pollution from those plants,” said J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director for Fresh Energy, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that supports renewable energy. “It is not a static situation. The climate science has been clear for many years. Wise utilities are listening.” (Star Tribune)

1.30.13 // Another utility cuts back on coal “We think it is a really good resolution,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “They are going to take out 50- and 60-year-old coal plants and modernize to clean energy.” (Star Tribune)

1.30.13 // Minnesota Power to convert Hoyt Lakes coal plant to gas “We’re concerned about them investing more of their ratepayers’ money in an old energy source that may not be around very long,” said J. Drake Hamilton. “The state’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions by at least 30 percent by 2025, and there’s no way to do that without phasing out more old coal plants.” (Duluth News Tribune)

1.28.13 // Solar power growth in Minnesota faces generation gap ‘The state may never get to this maximum potential, said Will Nissen, a policy analyst with the nonprofit Fresh Energy. But it is a useful reference “ceiling” for policymakers if they’re trying to measure solar energy’s potential, he said.’ (Pioneer Press)

1.22.13 // State’s greenhouse gas emissions dip slightlyJ. Drake Hamilton notes a new report—that shows Minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions fell about 3 percent from 2005 through 2010—did not address the gap between current emissions and the longer-term goal of a 30 percent reduction by 2025. However, the report did show the greatest emissions reductions in the past five years came in the sectors that have the most emissions—electricity production and transportation. “To get the biggest bang for your buck, you have to start with those sectors,” she said. (Star Tribune)

1.10.13 // Effort to revise building code raises old issues(login required) “It’s huge because it’s going to be a guarantee to homeowners that they know they are going to have low utility bills,” said senior policy associate Alison Lindburg. (Finance & Commerce)

11.7.12 // What do politics hold for climate change? It’s “the biggest single step the U.S. has taken to date to reduce carbon pollution” said J. Drake Hamilton, in reference to President Obama’s mandate to increase the fuel efficiency of new cars and light trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

10.29.12 // J. Drake Hamilton joined Dale Connelly on KFAI’s The Morning Blend to talk about coal, Xcel Energy, and the Sherco power plants.

10.25.12 // PUC asked to push Xcel over retiring coal plants “There’s very strong public opinion that we move faster,” said J. Drake Hamilton in the Pioneer Press. Suggestions to delay a study until 2014 “would be kicking the can down the road,” she said.

10.2.12 // Xcel stands behind Sherco “They say we can’t live without coal plants, but we’ve lived without the biggest one and done very well,” said J. Drake Hamilton to Finance & Commerce. (subscription required)

8.27.12 // Is cooling the house heating up the planet? “When we switch to using more air conditioning we’re using more energy, so we’re causing more coal to be burned,” Hamilton said. “And in effect we’re contributing to a vicious cycle,” said J. Drake Hamilton in this MPR piece.

8.21.12 // Appeals court blocks EPA rule on cross-state pollution The EPA ruling “will surely be challenged on behalf of states that are forced to bear an enormous public health burden because of these power plants upwind from them,” said J. Drake Hamilton to the Pioneer Press.

8.14.12 // Xcel Energy ponders future of coal “We have to make sure we’re not putting millions into plants that won’t be running for many more years,” said J. Drake Hamilton to Finance & Commerce. (Login required.)

8.9.12 // MN Power gets more time to shut coal plant“There is overwhelming analytical support and lots of public input that continuing to operate those 50 and 60-year-old coal plants, that are very dirty, isn’t in the public interest for economic reasons and health reasons,” said J. Drake Hamilton in this MPR piece.

8.9.12 // Electricity study aims to keep Minnesota lights onMichael Noble was quoted in this MinnPost story and said the region’s aging coal plants “face hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades and may not be economically viable to meet modern air-quality requirements. Alternatives are going to be more economical than (throwing) good money after bad.”

8.8.12 // Smart Minnesota public utility smartly votes to shutter coal plantGrist picked up a story from Midwest Energy News that quoted J. Drake Hamilton. “It’s not like you scoop out a nice even ice-cream scoop out of the ground. The geology is much more complicated than that, so as you go deeper … the costs are going up,” said Hamilton.

8.8.12 //Regulators weigh cost of coal “It’s a mystery to me why this company is not taking a harder look at the options that are available to them when there are cleaner and less costly options than running these coal plants,” said J. Drake Hamilton in Finance & Commerce.

8.8.12 //Minnesota ponders fate of aging coal-burning power plants “We believe the commission should find that continued operation of those older units at Laskin and Taconite Harbor is not in the public interest,” said J. Drake Hamilton in this Star Tribune piece about how Minnesota regulators are facing the thorny question of whether to shut down aging coal-burning power plants.

5.27.12 // The biggest climate victory you never heard of Michael Noble was quoted in this Aljazeera story about the decline of coal in the United States. ‘Stopping new coal may be “the most significant achievement of American environmentalists since the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act” in 1970,’ he said.

5.5.12 // The end of the line for Minnesota’s coal plants? Utilities are facing decisions about what to do with their oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the face of coming environmental regulations and concerns about greenhouse gases associated with climate change. Michael Noble was quoted in this Pioneer Press article about the possible transition to natural gas.

5.1.12 // Commentary Fresh Energy and J. Drake Hamilton were highlighted in a Duluth News Tribune commentary about a forum at the University of Minnesota Duluth to discuss the future of Minnesota Power-owned coal plants.

4.22.12 // This Earth Day, imagine a new energy economyMichael Noble wrote an Earth Day post for Minnpost. “What Earth Day needs is a credible narrative that the world can change the old energy economy for a better one that solves our world’s most pressing economic and security challenges — and is good for the environment to boot,” he said.

4.11.12 // Minnesota Power looks to the future of renewable energy J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in a story about a clean energy forum in Duluth with Minnesota Power. “Right now we’re shipping money out of the state to buy coal from other states, bringing it in by train and we’re trying to think of a transition that will work better for Minnesota,” Hamilton said.

4.6.12 // Almanac NorthJ. Drake Hamilton was a guest on Almanac North in April to talk about Minnesota’s energy future.

2.27.12 // Natural gas: A cleaner source of energy for Minnesota’s future J. Drake Hamilton was interviewed in this Public News Service story about natural gas. “We get almost 60 percent of our electricity from burning coal, and when we replace that with natural gas, we cut the mercury emissions to zero and the carbon pollution by 50 percent. It’s a much better, much cleaner fuel.”

1.30.12 // Dayton Blasts GOP Lawmakers for Refusing CommissionerMichael Noble was quoted in a FOX9 news segment about Ellen Anderson and the Senate’s vote to remove her from her position as PUC chair. “Anderson has managed the commission’s business with professionalism and efficiency, and her long tenure on key legislative committees offers the state an unusually deep understanding of energy and consumer issues,” Noble said.

1.30.12 // Dayton blasts GOP senators as ‘unfit to govern’ Michael Noble was quoted in this Star Tribune piece about the Minnesota Senate’s firing of PUC chair Ellen Anderson. “I think that the politics of clean energy is not bipartisan the way it used to be,” said Noble, who interpreted Monday’s vote as a sign of strength by coal and oil interests who “don’t like the state’s energy policy.”

12.10.11 // Faith community is joining the climate discussion J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in this Grand Rapids Herald-Review article about her talk with Will Steger and Minnesota’s renewable energy potential. “That is part of the success story of what we’re talking about this evening,” said Hamilton. “Why has Minnesota been able to build so much wind power into its system in a very short period of time? One of the reasons is that many, many Minnesotans demanded it.”

11.28.11 // Minn. utilities don’t want more coal power from ND Minnesota Public Radio interviewed J. Drake Hamilton for a story about North Dakota’s push to sell coal power to Minnesota. Hamilton said North Dakota has better energy options than coal and should focus on them instead.

11.21.11 // Minnesota Power looks at less coal The Duluth News Tribune interviewed J. Drake Hamilton about the PUC’s request that Minnesota Power re-figure its future energy demand and generation. “This isn’t about shutting down coal plants and not replacing them with anything,’’ Hamilton said. “It’s about keeping the lights on and the hospitals running, but doing it at reasonable price, doing it as you create jobs in Minnesota and making Minnesota air a little cleaner.”

9.7.11 //Compact fluorescents not the only light of the futureMidwest Energy News‘s Ken Paulman wrote a piece for Miller-McCune about the supposed light bulb “ban.” “There’s a legitimate discussion to be had about the effectiveness of light bulb efficiency standards and the potential for undesired consequences. But it’s also important to have a little perspective,” he said.

8.11.11 //Different times call for different St. Croix bridgeTransportation policy director Ethan Fawley wrote a commentary on the St. Croix bridge that was published in the Star Tribune. “Regardless of the final solution, the bridge decision cannot be made based on what the world was like in 2003,” said Ethan.

7.13.11 // Light bulb rhetoric becomes overheated as Congress rejects repeal Fresh Energy’s Ken Paulman was quoted in an article about the so-called “light bulb wars” on Poynter.org: “The language that’s been used by the politicians finds its way into the coverage, because people don’t go back and actually look at what the law does,” said Paulman. “There’s no language in there that says you can’t buy an incandescent bulb,” Paulman said. “A narrative emerged that simply wasn’t true.”

7.7.11 // Cleaning messesOn July 7, the EPA finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to reduce harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants. Fresh Energy’s J. Drake Hamilton applauded the long-overdue rule, which falls under the “Good Neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act. It will help 28 states in the eastern half of the United States reduce air pollution from outside their borders by leveling the playing field among power plant emitters.

6.28.11 // Complete Streets: Sharing the Road Transportation policy director Ethan Fawley was quoted in this Hopkins Patch story about the city of Hopkins’ pursuit of complete streets. “Complete Streets means that our streets are planned to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists and drivers. It is for all users, regardless of age or ability,” said Fawley.

6.1.11 // Minnesota attorney general says poor, elderly suffer under CenterPoint’s pricing policyClean energy director Linda Taylor provided information for a story about CenterPoint’s inverted block rate pricing, a program designed to encourage energy efficiency that has come under attack by the attorney general. “Other states, including New York, have used inverted block rates for years and structure the rates so they don’t hurt the poor or elderly,” said Taylor.

5.30.11 // Business people Fresh Energy’s current and newly-elected board of directors were listed in the Star Tribune’s business section.

5.29.11 // Minnesota above average in pedestrian safety; rural areas deadlier Ethan Fawley was quoted in this Alexandria Echo Press article about a new report released by Transportation for America that highlighted the need for investment in pedestrian safety. “Mn/DOT and seventeen local Minnesota communities have already stepped up with Complete Streets policies to make their roads safer for everyone, including pedestrians. But there is still much work to be done to improve safety for people walking and we need the federal government as a strong leader and partner for that effort,” said Fawley.

5.16.11 //New report outlines seven tools for improving transportation system“Minnesota has long strived to be a leader in transportation,” said Transportation policy director Ethan Fawley in this Alexandria Echo Press article. ”But we still need to do more, including more bus rapid transit, better coordinated planning, and better local street connectivity.”

5.11.11 // House passes bill to allow coal-generated electricity purchases Executive director Michael Noble was quoted in a Politics in Minnesota article about the passage of the coal rollbacks bill in the Minnesota House. “It’s now up to Governor Dayton to veto this bill and continue our transition away from expensive, dirty fuels of the past and toward cleaner energy for Minnesota families and businesses.”

5.10.11 // Solar energy not as bright in MinnesotaClean energy director Linda Taylor was quoted in a Finance & Commerce article about the shortcomings in Minnesota’s solar energy incentive program.

4.20.11 // Study claims energy mandates will cost state billionsExecutive director Michael Noble was quoted in a Finance & Commerce article about Minnesota’s renewable energy standard and the Minnesota Free Market Institute’s assertion that the standard drives up energy costs. Michael said the Institute does ” a very poor job of understanding our electrical system.”

4.19.11 // On energy and the environment, Michael Noble keeps politicians honest Don Shelby profiled executive director Michael Noble for a piece in MinnPost, and along with its critique of the Minnesota Senate’s vote to unravel part of the Next Generation Energy Act, the article included high praise for Noble. Shelby said he “knows more about energy, global warming, state law and the environment than any of our elected officials.”

4.15.11 // Minnesota Senate lifts curbs on new coal-fired power plants “We’re moving in the wrong direction” said Executive Director Michael Noble in response to the Minnesota Senate’s approval of a law that frees utilities from offsetting emissions from new coal. “We’re rolling back part of the foundation of our energy policy.”

3.19.11 // Report finds air pollution harms Minnesota fish & wildlife Science policy director J. Drake Hamilton was quoted in this Review Messenger article about a National Wildlife Federation report that found a number of wildlife species important to Minnesota’s hunters and anglers are being harmed by toxic air pollution and climate change. “Congress needs to update safeguards in the Clean Air Act, to cut down on the enormous health costs caused by air pollution.”

5.30.11 // Minnesota legislators receive coal lump for efforts to roll back pollution standards The Uptake covered a press conference held by concerned legislators and environmental allies (including Fresh Energy executive director Michael Noble) to bring attention to the damaging effects of HF72 and SF86, bills that would roll back an important piece of Minnesota’s clean energy policy and allow new coal pollution in the state.

2.7.11 // Woodbury retail center goes solar Clean energy director Linda Taylor was quoted in a Pioneer Press article about a new solar project in Woodbury, and what will be the largest solar project on any shopping center in the Upper Midwest. “Every big-box retailer and most shopping centers are prime spots,” she said.

1.25.11 // Minn. Republicans hope to undo clean energy policies Clean energy director Linda Taylor was quoted in a story about a number of repeals the Minnesota legislature is considering. “The whole system is moving beyond this almost silly discussion we’re having in Minnesota about whether or not we’re going to build nuclear power plants or coal power plants,” Taylor said. “We’re kind of behind the times I think on these things.”